Stay informed on the latest beer industry, legislative, government affairs and legal news, including updates on the Brewers Association and NBWA. Understand the evolving beverage alcohol regulatory and legal environment that can directly impact your distribution, retail efforts, intellectual property, packaging and ingredients.
Submit Legislative News
If you have insights into recent regulatory or legislative news related to the beer or beverage-alcohol industry, please submit your news to your team.
Anyone looking for an answer to when craft’s current era of compounding hurdles and declines will come to an end received a reality check Wednesday during Brewers Association (BA) president and CEO Bart Watson’s state of the industry address, held at the start of Day 2 of the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Indianapolis.
Around 10,000 industry members are expected to make the trip to Indianapolis for the 2025 Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo America (April 28 to May 1). The gathering takes place against a backdrop of growing headwinds for craft breweries and an overhaul of CBC’s host organization, the Brewers Association.
Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits (SGWS) has consistently charged independent retailers as much as 12% to 67% more than national and regional chains for the same products, according to newly unsealed redactions in the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) price discrimination case against the distributor.
Cans reached their highest-ever share of Brewers Association-defined (BA) packaged craft beer sold at off-premise retailers in 2021, according to a report from chief economist Bart Watson.
On-premise beer sales had a positive weekend, as rate of sale (ROS) increased +6.7% nationally January 27-30 compared to the prior period (Jan 6-9), according to draft beer data firm BeerBoard.
The fourth flavor of Boston Beer Company and PepsiCo Beverages’ Hard MTN Dew will be Baja Blast.
Tito’s Vodka maker Fifth Generation, Inc. has struck an offer in compromise (OIC) with the Department of Treasury’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) for $305,000, the federal agency announced Monday.
A bill in Indiana would remove restrictions on some off-premise retailers that prohibit them from selling cold beer. Towns in New Jersey are now allowed to designate areas where legal drinking age people can drink alcoholic beverages, according to NorthJersey.com.
The challenges with procuring aluminum cans aren’t likely to let up for several years, and increased input costs are likely to bleed down to drinkers, according to David Racino, co-founder and CEO of Austin, Texas-based can supplier American Canning.
The federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has accepted offers in compromises from a pair of Midwestern beer wholesalers for entering into sponsorship agreements that “allegedly resulted in the unlawful exclusion of their competitors’ products,” the agency announced today.
To-go drinks will return to New York state after an abrupt cancellation of the pandemic-driven policy last June, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced during her State of the State address earlier this week. “To-go drinks were a critical revenue stream for New York’s bars and restaurants during the pandemic, helping many small businesses across the state… Read more »
Atlanta-based SweetWater Brewing has filed a lawsuit against an artist who claims he is owed $31 million for the use of the brewery’s rainbow trout logos, Law360 reported.
Registration for Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) and BrewExpo America will open on January 11, the Brewers Association (BA) announced. The conference, the country’s largest gathering of employees of the craft beer industry, will take place May 2-5 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis.
The National Beer Wholesalers Association’s (NBWA) monthly survey of distributors’ beer purchasing behaviors recorded its highest December reading ever last month. However, the downward trend in hard seltzer and FMB purchasing continued as 2021 came to an end.
After granting five New York wholesalers a temporary restraining order (TRO) last week against Boston Beer Company (BBC) and Manhattan Beer Distributors’ attempt to terminate their rights to sell Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard and Twisted Tea brands, New York Supreme Court Justice Andrew Borrok changed course and denied their motion for an injunction against the sale of their rights to Manhattan Beer.
More than 9,000 breweries operated in the U.S. in 2021, a 6% increase from 2020, according to the Brewers Association (BA) in the trade group’s Year in Beer 2021.
Craft brewers should expect 2022 to be another year of disruptions due to a tumultuous supply chain and a wobbly return for draft beer sales, among other reasons, Brewers Association (BA) chief economist Bart Watson said during a Thursday webinar. While elevated at-the-brewery sales remain a bright spot for the craft beer industry, distribution sales… Read more »
